Filing device.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD McKNIGI-IT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE FLEXIFILE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

FILING DEVICE.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD MCKNIGHT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Filing Devices, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in filing devices, and has for its object the production of a device of this character which will be of improved construction and eflicient in operation.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a filing device embodying my invention, Fi 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section of the device, and Fig. 3 is a partially sectional front elevation thereof.

The preferred form of construction, as illustrated in the drawing, comprises a body or frame workl rectangular in form, the walls thereof being cut away, as shown, for lightness. At the front end of said body is provided a hand piece 2 for facilitating handling or manipulation thereof.

Arranged in the body 1 adjacent the upper edge thereof and in close proximity with the side walls of said body are two spaced parallel rods 3. The ends of said rods rest loosely in the front and rear walls of body 1, said rods being detachably secured in position by means of nuts 4 which are threaded upon the rearward ends thereof. The arrangement is such, as will be seen, that upon removal of nuts 4, said rods 3 may be slid forwardly to disengagement. Also arranged in body 1 is a plurality of transversely extending bars 5 the respective ends of which are provided with openings 6 which loosely engage with the rods 3 so as to permit of free sliding movement of said bars along said rods in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 2. The side walls of body 1 at the upper edge thereof are formed into inwardly opening channels 7 which inclose the rods 3 and in which the ends of bars 5 are adapted to slide, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Said channels 7 thus serve as a protecting housing for the rods 3 and also as supplemental supports for the ends of bars 5. The inner edges of said channels also determine the effective width of the body 1 in the employment of the same for filing purposes.

ooperating with the bars 5 is an elongated rectangular strip 8 of fabric or other suitable flexible material which is connected at intervals to said bars so as to form depending folds 9 between said bars, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. With this arrangement then, it will be seen that the folds 9 constitute upwardly opening pockets which are adapted to accommodate the articles A, such as letters, documents, books, or other articles which it is desired to file.

The construction is such, as will be seen, that the weight of an article placed in one of said pockets will tend to slide the corresponding bars 5 at the mouth of the pocket toward each other and thus to automatically close the mouth of the pocket and at the same time compactly pack or confine the articles filed. With the construction set forth it will be seen further that the articles filed will not be gripped at their lower ends in the pocket, such as is the case with filing systems of the construction generally in use, the clamping action upon the articles filed being adjacent the upper edges thereof or at the point of registration therewith of the bars 5. This being so the thrusting of a letter or other device into one of the pockets 9 may be more readily and easily effected than is possible with filin devices of the old construction. Throug the detachable mounting of the rods 3, adding of more bars 5 or the removal of some of the same if desired, may be readily and easily effected in order to adapt the device for adjustment to meet various conditions.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without de parting from the spirit of the invention. 1, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the bers precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what 'I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A filing device comprising a plurality of substantially parallel bars loosely supported in a horizontal plane for free movement toward and from each other; and a flexible element supported by said bars forming depending folds between the same, substantially as described.

2. A filing device comprising a plurality of substantially parallel supporting members freely movable in a direction transversely of the length thereof; and a flexible element supported by said supporting elements so as to form depending folds between said supporting elements, substantially as described.

3. A filing device comprising a plurality of substantially parallel supporting members having their ends loosely supported to permit of free movement of said members in a direction transversely of the length thereof; and a flexible element supported by said supportin element so as to form depending folds ments, substantially as described.

4. A filing device comprising a plurality of substantially parallel supporting members loosely mounted for independent movement toward and from each other; and flexible pockets formed between and depending from adjacent supporting members, substantially as described.

5. A filing device comprising a plurality of substantially parallel supporting members loosely mounted for independent movement toward and from each other; and a strip of flexible material arranged between and connected at its ends to each pair of adjacent supporting members to form depending pockets, substantially as described.

6. A filin of substantially parallel supporting memloosely mounted for independent movement toward and from each other; and an elongated substantially rectangular strip of flexible material secured at intervals to said supporting members to form depending folds between the same, substantially as described.

7. A filing device comprising spaced par allel supporting elements; bars having their ends loosely supported by said supporting elements; and an integral flexible element connected with all of said bars and forming dependin folds between the same, substantially as described.

8. A filing device comprising spaced parallel sup orting elements; bars having their ends sli ably supported on said supporting etween said supporting eledevice comprising a plurality elements; and folds of flexible material secured to and depending from said bars, adjacent folds being connected together at their ends to form an integral construction, substantially as described.

9. A filing device comprising a pair of spaced parallel bars; a plurality of parallelsupporting elements having openings in their ends loosely engagingsaid bars; and folds of flexible material secured to and depending from said supporting elements, substantially as described.

10. A filing device comprising a pair of spaced parallel rods; a plurality of transversely extending parallel bars having openings in their ends loosely engaging said rods; and folds of flexible material secured to and dependin from said bars, substan tially as describe fi.

11. A filing device comprising a pair of spaced parallel rods; a plurality of transversely extending parallel bars having openings in their ends loosely engaging said rods; and a flexible element connecting adjacent bars and depending therefrom to form a pocket, substantially as described.

12. A filing device comprising a body open at its upper side; a plurality of substantially parallel supporting members having their ends loosely supported in sald body to permit of free movement of said members toward'and from each other; and a flexible element supported by said sup porting members so as to form depending folds between the same, substantially as de-- scribed.

13. A filing device comprising a body open at its upper side; a pair of spaced parallel rods arranged in the upper end of said body and having'their ends supported thereby; a plurality of substantially parallel supporting members having their ends loosely supported by said rods to permit of free movement of said members toward and from each' other; and a flexible element supported by said supporting elements so as to form depending folds between the same, substantially as described.

14. A filing device comprising a body open at its upper side; a pair of spaced parallel rods arranged in the upper end of said body and having their ends supported thereby; a plurality of substantially parallel supporting members having openings in their ends for slidable engagement with said rods; and flexible pockets supported by and depending from said supporting members,

substantially as described.

15. A filing device-comprising a body open at its upper side; a pair of spaced parallel rods arranged in said body and having their ends supported thereby; a plurality of substantially parallel supporting members having their ends loosely supported by said rods to permit of free move ment toward and from each other; channels provided at the sides of said body engaging with the ends of said supporting members;

and a flexible element connecting adjacent supporting members and forming'a de ending fold between the same, substantia 1y as described.

16. A filing device comprising a body open at its upper side; a pair of spaced parallel rods arranged in said body and having their ends releasably supported thereby; a plurality of transversely extendin their ends loosely engaging said r element connecting adjacent bars and form- 15 ing a depending fold between the same, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD McKNIGHT. Witnesses:

JOSHUA'R. H. Po'rrs, HELEN F. LILLIs. 

